Spoils of War
by fatal petal
Summary: Yugi is a seer living in Athena's temple. After pillaging all of Greece, the Pharaoh Yami captures him and intends to use his power. What will happen between them? [ AU YAOI: YamiYugi ]


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DISCLAIMER: Yugi-oh doesn't and will never belong to me, no matter how much I beg, whine and spit-shine Kazuki Takahashi's shoes.

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TITLE: Spoils of War

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PAIRINGS: Yami/Yugi and Bakura/Ryou for now

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WARNINGS: Yaoi AU, some OOC-ness

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NOTES: Yay! A fic focusing on Yami and Yugi for once! * does happy dance * ^__^ I can already tell that this is going to be a sickeningly sweet story laced with sugar and whatnot. But that will happen in the later parts. I want to develop the relationships as realistically as possible… Well, at least as realistic as deity-like powers and Greek gods and goddesses would allow. ( Meaning, no "I love you do you love me let's fuck" plot mishaps. * shudders * )

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SUMMARY: Yugi is a seer living in Athena's temple. After pillaging all of Greece, the pharaoh Yami captures him and intends to use his power. Meanwhile, Yami's general, ex-tomb robber Bakura, captures a seemingly harmless boy residing in Aphrodite's temple…

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SPOILS OF WAR: Prologue

"My liege…" 

"What is it, Seto?" The Pharaoh answered in a disinterested tone, turning slightly to the left to face the slender form of his high priest and first cousin. He irritably swatted the large feather fan that suddenly hit his nose, and the servant stammered, apologizing profusely. 

"If you know what's good for you, you'll get out now, slave." Seto growled, a tad frustrated. The servant flushed a brilliant red before bowing to the Pharaoh, then hastily going through the exit before the Pharaoh could even protest.

"Se-to!" The Pharaoh almost-whined as he helplessly watched the servant go away. "It's burning like the sun in here! That was our only relief!" His cousin only gave him a cold glare in response, and the Pharaoh returned it in kind. Suddenly, Seto sighed, yielding.

"Yami, sometimes I swear you are still such a child." Seto dropped the formality and shook his head as The Pharaoh Atemu, or Yami, as he liked to be called ( strange as that was ), pouted like a five-year-old. " All that hair must be messing with your brain." He continued, and Yami ran a long-fingered hand through his wild, untamed ebony and red mane, flicking his golden blond bangs in the process. Yami then threw a long-suffering look at Seto

"Enough about that, my dear cousin. What was it that you wanted to ask?"

"Are you… sure about this?"

"Define 'this'."

Seto gave him a flat stare. "Don't play dumb with me, Yami."

Yami narrowed his kohl-lined ruby eyes as he formed a fist, all traces of his earlier cheerful demeanor almost completely gone. "Of course I'm sure."

"The people do not want war, you know that. Perhaps it is possible that we could negotiate with Greece's ruler once again, and maybe we—"

"The negotiations are done." Yami hissed, his voice dangerously low. "They have already said that they won't lend us even a few of their people to help build our pyramids. Also, they have refused our offer to trade our products with theirs." The fist tightened, nails digging onto the callous flesh of Yami's palm.

"We have the Israelite slaves to build the pyramids for us." Seto spoke, frowning deeply. "As for the trading business, we have other nations willing to trade…" He trailed off as he saw the dark shadow clouding Yami's face.

"_No._" Yami said, voice growing deep. "No one refuses the land of Kemet! _No one!_"

Seto let a dark chocolate strand brush his cheek as he lowered his head in defeat. There was no possible way to talk Yami out of this, and he knew this too well. He didn't want some senseless war as much as the next person, but Yami was probably as stubborn as a mule, if not even more. "What… are your plans?" He asked softly.

Yami's lips lifted upwards to form a small smile. A most disturbing smile, if you asked Seto. "Well…" He started, leaning an arm onto the golden throne and propping a chin at the back of his hand. "For starters, I've already sent a spy to their borders, to see what would be of use to us and what would be worth destroying when we finally go in and crush their land."

"You've sent…?"

"The best stealth artist Kemet has, of course. And if I might say so myself, the best general, too." Yami's smile widened, his voice taking on a note of pride. Seto guessed that it was due to the fact that Yami had hand-picked the General, and had become close friends with him as well.

"Bakura…" Seto murmured the name, sliding off his lips like velvety poison.

^^^^^^^^^^

It was the fifth day after the young pharaoh Yami had sent his pale-skinned, silver-haired general over to the borders of Greece, and the former was growing impatient by the day. "I didn't expect that he would take this long…" He would murmur to himself in front of his council.

"Sire, maybe you should have—"

"Are you questioning my decision?" Yami pursed his lip irritably as the council widened their eyes and shook their heads. They knew, after all, that the Pharaoh could hand their heads to the executioner any day for protesting. "Fools, all of you… I wonder how father could tolerate you measly excuses for human beings…" He thought, scoffing.

Just then, a guard opened the chamber doors. "My liege! General Bakura is here!"

Yami's ruby orbs positively lit up like a child's. "Tell him to forego all his other duties, and come straight here!" At his order, the guard nodded stiffly and made his exit hastily. 

"Sire, what would you have us do now?"

"Get out." Yami waved a hand in dismissal at their direction.

"B-but—"

"If I say 'out', then you go out. Do I make myself clear?" Yami enunciated every word, looking at all of them intensely.

"This is absurd!" One of the old council members suddenly stood up, banging both hands on the table. "You are only a child! _You _need _us _to rule over this land _properly_! If your father Akunamukanon had not died so early, you, Pharaoh Atemu…" He said the young one's name as if it was venom. "… would only be the little weak, princeling that you really are!"

Yami remained calm through the elderly one's outburst. Silence filled the room for a long moment, and everyone was gripping their seat in fearful anticipation of what the Pharaoh would do next. Then, Yami stood up, his face darkened and shadowed as he walked towards the one who had dared oppose him. His golden anklets jingled a soft _clang-clang _as he treaded slowly, ever so slowly…

"I suppose the feeling is mutual between us, Namke…" Yami whispered the name in contempt as he drew closer. "Because I'm sure you want me gone…" His hand reached out towards his lower thigh, carefully…

A scream of pain. Blood gushing forth. Falling down with a single _thud_.

"Or was I wrong?"

A cold smile graced the Pharaoh's lips as he bent down to lift his blood-soaked, silver dagger from the corpse's chest. Grinning widely, he shook the blood off, getting some of it in the stunned council members' faces. "So…" He threw the blade into the air, expertly catching it at the very tip. "Anyone who still disagrees?"

All of them shook their heads, trembling violently as they did. Yami extended a hand towards the chamber exits, and they all did as they were told. "Guards!" Yami barked. "Clean this mess up!" He gestured towards the still body of the one he had impaled, sneering visibly. The two burly men by the door nodded gruffly and went to pick the body up.

As the guards went through the door carrying the body, Yami saw the familiar form of his general walking towards them with a bemused expression on his dirt-covered face.

"What in the name of Amun-Ra took you so long, Bakura?" Yami demanded, putting the dagger back into its sheath.

"What happened here?" Bakura countered, gesturing towards the blood splattered on the matted floor, and to the guards carrying the dead form of one of the council members.

Yami shrugged. "The council was being stubborn again. I swear those old crones never learn their lesson."

Bakura smirked. "You can say that again."

"Well, let's get started with business." Yami said, smirking slightly as well as he sat down. He gestured for Bakura to sit down on one of the stone chairs. "What news do you bring from the wonderful, not to mention _soon to be doomed _land of Greece?"

"I bring great news, my Pharaoh." Bakura said, leaning his arm across the table.

"It seems that Greece has a precious treasure that they have kept from us. And it is not jewels or whatnot, if that's what you're thinking." Bakura grinned as Yami, who was about to speak, closed his mouth.

"It is a seer, Yami." He looked at the Pharaoh straight in the eye, dropping all formalities and waiting for a reaction.

"A seer?" Yami repeated, frowning deeply. "Do tell, Bakura… In what way is this seer special? We have countless mages here, and they can see the future as well. Greece has a fair number of them, too, if I'm not mistaken."

"Ah, but this one is said to be not only a seer, but a direct descendant of their hunting god as well. This person may be Greece's ultimate weapon, and if he or she falls into our hands, it may become ours." Bakura stared at Yami, who quietly put a finger to his lips in thought.

"A special seer, hmm?…" He murmured. Suddenly, he looked up, alarmed. "If this seer really is as special as you say, then he or she may have already predicted our coming. The troops of Greece may be preparing at this very moment!" Yami abruptly stood up and paced around the room, golden anklets clinking loudly as his bare feet walked.

"Pharaoh, calm down." Bakura stated flatly, looking at the pacing Yami in undisguised amusement. "The seer is still a child, probably not much older than fifteen or sixteen. I have heard the priestesses speak about him. They say that he will probably grow into his power, or have a very strong emotion trigger it. Otherwise, he is harmless, but with age he will become of great use to us."

"Priestesses? You've sneaked into one of their temples?"

"Of course. The temple of Greece's wisdom goddess, to be precise."

Yami's brow furrowed in confusion. "But you said that this person was also a direct descendant of their hunting god. Shouldn't the seer be in _that _temple?"

Bakura shrugged. "Don't ask me."

"Nevertheless, the seer may have already predicted our coming."

"Haven't you been listening to anything I'm saying?" Bakura glared. "The seer, powerful as he or she may be, still has to grow to gain the ultimate power of foresight. This one can probably predict trivial things like who will go to the market the next day, or who will trip on something, et cetera…"

"Fine, fine…" Yami sighed in relief. "What else have you found?"

Bakura then proceeded to tell Yami about all the things they could capture for themselves, and the things they could obliterate. The young pharaoh nodded as he listened. "We attack three weeks from now. Better get the troops ready. And when you are outside, if you see Seto, tell him to come and see me."

The silver-haired one nodded in reply, and got up.

Yami watched after him, then closed his eyes as he leaned against the seat. "This is my first war as Pharaoh. Sure, I have been with father countless times, but this…" His eyes turned determined. "This is different."

"I will live up to your name, father. I will not lose this battle."

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A young boy, petite and gentle for his rough age of fifteen, sat on the grass overlooking the lush gardens of the temple of the Goddess of wisdom, Athena. His tunic made out of pure blue silk and a robe a few shades lighter wrapped around his waist served to compliment his lithe form. Smiling lightly as a butterfly came to rest on his shoulders, he began to pick a few dandelions to weave a small chain. 

"Do you think Seleni would like this?" He murmured to the red-striped creature perched on his shoulder.

"The high priestess would surely like your gift, little Yugi." Another voice replied from behind, and Yugi turned in surprise.

"Herona!" Yugi exclaimed as the middle-aged priestess approached him. He stood up from the grass, almost tripping, and bowed respectfully.

The woman chuckled. "Oh, but you are such a darling." She cooed, beaming down at the boy. Yugi felt his fair face blush a bit in response, and this made the woman positively gush.

"It's such a shame that we would have to give you to the Goddess Artemis' temple someday. Oh, how I wish you could just stay here, little one!" Herona could not resist the urge to embrace Yugi, and so she did. Yugi made a small whimpering noise at the back of his throat as he wrapped his arms around her as well.

'I don't want to go there, too. I want to stay here forever!" Yugi sniffed. "Why does Ryou get to stay in Aphrodite's temple when he should be in Apollo's?"

Herona frowned. She knew that the boy Yugi was talking about, Ryou, had the gift of healing, but what on earth caused Yugi to say that he should be in Apollo's?…

Suddenly, Herona felt the young boy in her arms shiver. Yugi then let go of her, and he wavered in his balance slightly before falling to his knees. Herona could only watch, dumbstruck, as Yugi clutched his temple, as if he was in great pain. Then her eyes widened in realization. Yugi may be experiencing a particularly vivid vision of the future, but perhaps he couldn't handle it just yet. Her hands reached out for him…

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Blood screams agony spears armours ruins sunfire red running fighting laughter dark ruby ebony gold boy

Boy…

"Yugi! Yugi!"

He did not hear her screams anymore. He had succumbed into the dark realms of unconsciousness.

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To be continued… ( that is, if people want more…)

I am in no way really aiming for an accurate portrayal of life in Ancient Egypt, so feel free to correct me if I'd made any serious mistakes. I called Set 'Seto" because I felt that it sounded nicer ( and didn't remind me of a certain math topic… ).

Reviews are _very _much appreciated! ^__^


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